Virginia LMFT hours requirements
The marriage and family therapy residency toward the Virginia LMFT, which begins after your master's degree. The rule, as amended effective December 18, 2025, states no total-hours figure: the residency is 2,000 hours of face-to-face client contact, 1,000 of them with couples or families, 200 hours of supervision and at least 21 months.
The short answer
The marriage and family therapy residency toward the Virginia LMFT, which begins after your master's degree. The rule, as amended effective December 18, 2025, states no total-hours figure: the residency is 2,000 hours of face-to-face client contact, 1,000 of them with couples or families, 200 hours of supervision and at least 21 months.
Supervision: The residency includes 200 hours of in-person supervision. For the supervision requirement, in-person may also include technology with real-time visual contact between supervisor and resident.
Time limit: The residency must be completed in not less than 21 months. No maximum is stated.
Post-degree experience · Title while gaining experience: Resident with a temporary license · Authority: Virginia Board of Counseling
Requirements
| Requirement | Figure |
|---|---|
| Overall hours | No total-hours figure is stated The residency is set by client contact, supervision and length |
| Face-to-face client contact | 2,000 hours Face-to-face means in-person delivery, so telehealth does not count |
| With couples or families | 1,000 hours Part of the 2,000, also face-to-face |
| Supervision | 200 hours |
| Residency length | At least 21 months |
| Supervision rate | 1 to 4 hours for every 40 hours of supervised work experience |
| Group supervision | Up to 100 hours One group hour equals one individual hour |
| Supervision by a licensed marriage and family therapist | At least 100 hours |
Supervision
- The residency includes 200 hours of in-person supervision. For the supervision requirement, in-person may also include technology with real-time visual contact between supervisor and resident.
- Residents receive a minimum of one hour and a maximum of four hours of supervision for every 40 hours of supervised work experience.
- No more than 100 hours may be group supervision, with groups of no more than six residents.
- At least 100 of the 200 hours must be rendered by a licensed marriage and family therapist.
- The Code of Virginia defines a residency as one registered with the board.
Time limits
- The residency must be completed in not less than 21 months. No maximum is stated.
- At least 1,000 hours of face-to-face client contact, 500 of them with couples or families, and 100 hours of supervision must fall within the two years immediately before you apply for licensure.
What Accrue checks
- Counts client contact logged in person, or with no modality recorded, toward 2,000 hours, and couple and family sessions logged the same way toward 1,000. Sessions logged as video or phone are not counted toward either.
- Counts supervision toward 200 hours.
- Warns when your supervision falls below one hour per 40 hours counted, supervision hours included, checked across all your hours rather than week by week. A warning never removes credit.
What Accrue does not check
- The 100-hour limit on group supervision is not checked.
- The requirement that 100 supervision hours come from a licensed marriage and family therapist is not checked.
- The 21-month minimum is not checked.
Common questions
- What supervision does Virginia require for the LMFT?
- The residency includes 200 hours of in-person supervision. For the supervision requirement, in-person may also include technology with real-time visual contact between supervisor and resident. Residents receive a minimum of one hour and a maximum of four hours of supervision for every 40 hours of supervised work experience. No more than 100 hours may be group supervision, with groups of no more than six residents.
- Is there a time limit for LMFT hours in Virginia?
- The residency must be completed in not less than 21 months. No maximum is stated. At least 1,000 hours of face-to-face client contact, 500 of them with couples or families, and 100 hours of supervision must fall within the two years immediately before you apply for licensure.
- Does meeting these figures make me eligible?
- No. The Virginia Board of Counseling reviews your application and your supervisors' verifications and decides. Accrue keeps the record and shows how the cited rule applies to it.
Sources
Sources checked
Accrue is a record-keeping aid and is not affiliated with any licensing board, accreditor or school. Rules change; confirm the requirements that apply to you with the authority that sets them before you rely on a figure.